https://exchange.prx.org/p/613803
We have quite a few tracks this time around that have been only played once before on Rockin' in the Days of Confusion, along with a few that haven't been played at all and, of course, a couple of old favorites as well.
Artist: Edgar Winter Group
Title: Frankenstein (edited version)
Source: LP: They Only Come Out At Night
Writer: Edgar Winter
Label: Epic
Year: 1973
A real monster hit (sorry, couldn't resist).
Artist: Graham Nash/David Crosby
Title: Immigration Man
Source: 45 RPM single (promo)
Writer(s): Graham Nash
Label: Atlantic
Year: 1972
Graham Nash and David Crosby decided to make an album without Stephen Stills or Neil Young in 1972. The two songwriters' compositions alternated on the album, with the final track, Nash's Immigration Man (based on his own real life experience at customs), being released as a single.
Artist: Allman Brothers Band
Title: Done Somebody Wrong
Source: LP: At Fillmore East
Writer(s): Kirkland/James
Label: Mercury (original label: Capricorn)
Year: 1971
As a general rule, live albums by rock bands are made up mostly of tunes that the group had previously released on studio albums. The Allman Brothers Band, however, took a different path for their 1971 double LP At Fillmore East. Of the seven tracks spread across four album sides, only the last two had previously appeared on the band's two studio efforts. The first four tunes, in fact, were blues covers such as Done Somebody Wrong, a tune generally attributed to Elmore James, who recorded the song in 1960. James, however, had actually rearranged a song that Eddie Kirkland had released in 1959 called I Must Have Done Somebody Wrong. Kirkland had given James permission to record the song, but only if Kirkland was credited as the songwriter, however James's name appeared on the 1960 single as the sole songwriter. When the Allman Brothers Band performed the song at the Fillmore East they introduced it as "an old Elmore James" tune.
Artist: Wishbone Ash
Title: Phoenix
Source: CD: Wishbone Ash
Writer(s): Upton/Turner/Turner/Powell
Label: MCA (original label: Decca)
Year: 1970
The first Wishbone Ash album was characterized by the dual lead guitar work of Andy Powell and Ted Turner. This is particularly notable on the album's showcase piece, the ten and a half minute long Phoenix. Unfortunately, the lack of a powerful lead vocalist kept Wishbone Ash from becoming a first-tier band.
Artist: Genesis
Title: The Fountain Of Salmacis
Source: Canadian import CD: Nursery Cryme
Writer(s): Banks/Collins/Gabriel/Hackett/Rutherford
Label: Atlantic (original label: Charisma)
Year: 1971
Genesis' original guitarist, Anthony Phillips, left the group following their second LP, Trespass, in 1970. This almost caused the band to break up, but ultimately resulted in a revised lineup consisting of Peter Gabriel (vocals), Tony Banks (keyboards), and Mike Rutherford (bass), along with new members Steve Hackett (guitar) and Phil Collins (drums). Early in 1971 the five got to work on a new album, which eventually came to be called Nursery Cryme. Although the album was not a huge seller in their native England, it found enough of a following in European nations such as Belgium to allow the band to continue on. The Fountain Of Salmacis, the album's closing track, was inspired by the story of a water nymph who becomes a hermaphodite after bathing in cursed water (hey, blame the ancient Greeks for that story).
Artist: Grand Funk Railroad
Title: Aimless Lady
Source: CD: Closer To Home
Writer(s): Mark Farner
Label: Capitol
Year: 1970
Despite being universally panned by the rock press, Grand Funk Railroad managed to achieve gold record status three times in the year 1970. The first two of these were actually released the previous year, but it was the massive success of their third LP, Closer To Home, that spurred sales of the band's albums overall. All of the songs on Closer To Home were written and sung by guitarist Mark Farner, including Aimless Lady, probably the best example on the album of a "typical" Grand Funk Railroad song.
Artist: Enoch Smoky
Title: It's Cruel
Source: Mono LP: Brown Acid: The Sixth Trip (originally released as 45 RPM single)
Writer(s): Douglas/Gedz/Collignon
Label: RidingEasy (original label: Pumpkin Seed)
Year: 1969
Enoch Light was one of the pioneers of high-fidelity stereo recording techniques in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He developed the Command label for ABC records specifically to showcase those techniques, and his album covers were prominently displayed in various retail stores. In the latter part of the decade a hard-rocking band from Iowa City decided to call themselves Enoch Smoky. Although regionally popular, their entire recorded output consisted of one single, released on the local Pumpkin Seed label in 1969. It's Cruel is the A side of that single.
Artist: Doors
Title: Roadhouse Blues
Source: CD: The Best Of The Doors (originally released on LP: Morrison Hotel)
Writer(s): The Doors
Label: Elektra
Year: 1970
After getting less than favorable reviews for their fourth LP, The Soft Parade, the Doors decided to go back to their roots for 1970s Morrison Hotel. One of the many bluesier tunes on the album was Roadhouse Blues, a song that soon became a staple of the group's live performances.
Artist: Mountain
Title: Travellin' In The Dark (To E.M.P.)
Source: LP: Nantucket Sleighride
Writer(s): Pappalardi/Collins
Label: Columbia/Legacy
Year: 1971
Mountain, formed in 1970, took its name from Leslie West's 1969 solo album, recorded after the guitarist shortened his name from Weinstein following the breakup of the Vagrants. Just as important to the band's sound, however, was Felix Pappalardi, sometimes known as the "fourth member" of Cream. Pappalardi had produced all but the first Cream album, and, along with his wife Janet Collins, helped write some of their best material, including Strange Brew, which opened the second Cream album, Disraeli Gears. As a member of Mountain, Pappalardi played keyboards and bass, as well as singing lead vocals on several of the band's most popular tunes, including Travellin' In The Dark from Mountain's second LP, Nantucket Sleighride. The song, which was subtitled To E.M.P. is somewhat autobiographical, E.M.P. being the initials of Pappalardi's mother.
Artist: Hot Tuna
Title: Half/Time Saturation
Source: LP: Yellow Fever
Writer(s): Kaukonen/Casady/Steeler
Label: Grunt
Year: 1975
Originally formed in 1969 as an offshoot of Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna started off as a mainly acoustic band doing mostly blues standards, and had performed as an opening act for the Airplane itself in 1970. In the early 1970s, with the Airplane winding down, Hot Tuna emerged as a fully electric band independent of the Airplane. In 1974 the band, which at that point consisted of guitarist Jorma Kaukonen, bassist Jack Casady and drummer Bob Steeler, decided that it would be "just fun to be loud" for a while, recording three albums in 1975-76 as a power trio. The second of these three was Yellow Fever. As can be heard on the track Half/Time Saturation, they certainly succeeded.
Artist: Eric Clapton
Title: Willie And The Hand Jive
Source: 45 RPM single
Writer(s): Johnny Otis
Label: RSO
Year: 1974
Bandleader Johnny Otis managed to outdo Bo Diddley at his own beat with the 1968 hit song Willie And The Hand Jive. Eric Clapton, always on the lookout for cover tunes, did his own version, somewhat de-emphasizing the Bo Diddley beat, in 1974.
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